The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1887-08-18
TIMELY TOPICS FOR FARMERS.
now TO DO PAYING WORK AT THIS
SEASON.
Suggestions Of Interest, from an Authori-
tative Source.

| (W. l.. Jones in Southern Cultiyatorl
August is usually month of compar-
ative rest on the Southern farm. The
arduous labor of cultivating tho two
most important crops is pretty we'll over
on every well-managod farm, excepting,
possibly, i'll the extreme northern edge
OF our peculiar territory. Although
July lst is literally the midway station
III the years calendar, August 1st is
really nearer the dividing line between
tho work of cultivation and the labors
OF the harvest. Yet there may be some
work that may protitably be done in the
continued cultivation OF the cotton field.
SHALL FLOWING CONTINUE?
1t depends on the condition of the
plants and seasons. If the crop is in
growing condition, and fruiting. well,
but is rather later in development
than 1t should be, the cultivators, or
Shallow-runnlnG sweeps and scrapes, may
be run over the fields every ten days,
particularly after a rainfall sufficient to
form crust. Root-cuttiDg and mangling
must be carefully avoided, as the effect
fruit and then take on q now growth too
late to amount to anything. The object
now should be to prevent the shedding
Of tho squares already formed, aud en-
courage their development into blooms
and bolls, since very few that make their
appearance after the tenth of the month
will escape the first killing frosts of
October. Late cotton should be en-
coura9ed to keep up a vigorous growth,
rot that tho additional development of
the weed will increase the number of
bolls by the formation of new squares,
but that the squares and young bolls
may bo FASTENED to full size and carrier
maturity. Where sweeps and scrapes
have been used during June and July, if
cultivation be continued now, it is better
to run the implement in the same furrow
previously tAst run, and thus avoid
plun8lng the plOw into the ridges Of soil
cast up ut the plowing. One furrow in
the middle using twenty-inch sweep,
scrape or cultivator, will generally be all
that is now required.
TOPPING COTTON.
Many experiments have been mado in
topping cotton in the last forty years,
and the results and conclusions have
been very diverse. Sometimes it pays;
often it does not; sometimes it Injuries.
NO rule can be given that will always
work. The usual object in topping is
to prevent further growth Of weed and
forms after the plant has as many as it
can sustain, and when new forms would
be too late to mature; the idea being to
induce the plant to throw all its vigor
INTO the effort to develop the forms al
ready visible. The object, according to
nhSnrUofInn OF
merely removing the growing top of the
plant, but may often be accomplished by
topping OF Topping off the growing ends
OF the branches, as well as the leader.
In most cases where topping cotton re-
suited in increasing the yield it might
have boon noticed that the work was
done rather early-sOmc time in July
Every one has observed that stalks of
cotton that were topped by the bite Of
the plow-horse early in the season are
often made much more fruitful thereby.
In such cases the effect of the early top
ping was probably to push the branches
OF the stalks into more vigorous growth,
causing more rapid evolution of forms.
On the whole, we have very little faith
III topping cotton as a part of regular
system.
PULLING FODDER.
The propricty of pulling fodder, i. c.,
whether it does not injure the grain moro
than the fodder is worth, to pull the
blades as is usually done, is one of the
questions that has been long mootod,
but never settled. Expcrimenters differ
III results and conclusions. Possibly
each is correct in the results of his OK
pertinent, but wrong i'll his general con-
clusioDs. The only true conclusion is,
that pulling the blades sometimes does
and sometimes does not, injure the grain
more than the value Of the fodder Sc
cured. 1t is commonly said, in COM
parlsOn with the animal system that the
blades Of corn arc the lungs of the plant
by means of which tho plant takes in
nutnmcnt from the air; and as IN animal
will at once die If deprived of its lungs,
therefore the corn will be injured by re-
moving the blndes-a very singular and
altogether unWarrantcd conclusion. If
it is said that the plant win die if de-
prlvcd Of its 'bladCs-lungs- simile
would be perfect and the conclusion cor
rect. 1t ij q fact in vegetable economy
that the leaves or blades of plants con
tlnuc glCcn and succulent for q time
after they have ceased to be at all neccs-
sary to the perfection of the fruit or
seed. Familiar illustrations of this law
may be found on every hand. In the
case Of the corn plant, under favorable
and natural conditions of soil and sea-
son, the ear Of corn--the fruit of the
plants among the first parts to show
signs Of maturity. The tassel and silk
perform their Offices, and are the first to
fade; then the husk or shuck, and the
enclosed grain. This succession will be
noted particularly whom corn is grown
on fresh lands or soils abounding in
humus. On worn and exhausted soils,
or soils deprived of vegetable matter,
and easily influenced by drouth, the
blades often "dry up" before the grain
is fully maturcd. In such cases it is un-
doubtly true that to hasten the stripping
of the blades, without reference to the
condition of the car, would result in
more or less injury and loss Of weight OF
grain. OF this every farmer must be his
Judge. BE governed by the condition
Of the ear, and not the blades altogether,
in deciding just when to commence pull
ing.
There is nothing in the way of hay
that is more generally roliabp1 NV etooI